DOE takes cue on WPS drilling from Palace, DFA

HE Department of Energy (DOE) on Wednesday said it will not allow any unauthorized party to go after oil and mineral resources in the seabed and subsoil of the West Philippine Sea.

DOE Secretary Alfonso Cusi said he firmly stands behind any decision of President Duterte regarding the assertion of the exclusive licensing authority of the Philippines over petroleum and other resources in the area.

“Should any foreign state engage in petroleum activities inside the Philippine petroleum jurisdiction, the DOE shall take the necessary steps to protect our licensees and preserve our resources,” the agency said.

It shall also defer to the sole prerogative of the President regarding any security option. It shall also conform to any decision that the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) might take regarding the ongoing informal negotiations on oil and gas cooperation with China.

The DOE supports the President’s statement regarding the defense of the resources of the Philippine seabed and subsoil, as this is in accordance with the Constitution and our petroleum laws. Under Philippine laws, only the government, through the DOE, may issue licenses to drill in Philippine land territory, including its islands, internal waters, territorial sea, exclusive economic zone (EEZ), and continental shelf.

Meanwhile, the DOE continues to develop the uncontested Philippine EEZ and continental shelf through the resumption of petroleum operations by our licensees and the award of new petroleum areas. The Philippines remains in business, Covid-19 and China, notwithstanding, the DOE said.

Duterte said last Monday that he would send military ships if China starts drilling for oil and other resources in the area. His statement comes after hundreds of Chinese ships were spotted in those waters since early March.

He said the Philippines cannot do anything about the Chinese presence in the country’s EEZ at present, but he gave the assurance that he is ready to fight once China starts drilling for oil.

“I am addressing myself to the Chinese government. We want to remain friends. We want to share whatever it is.

Sinabi ko naman sa inyo, sa [I told you, the] Chinese government, I am not so much interested now in fishing. I don’t think there’s enough fish to quarrel about. But when we start to mine, when we start to get whatever it is in the bowels of the China Sea, our oil…. then at that time, I will send my ships there. I will send my gray ships there to stake a claim,” he said.

‘“Yan masiguro ninyo. ‘Pag kinuha na ‘yang oil, mga nickel diyan, [You can be sure of that. Once you start to get the oil, the nickel there], the precious stones, that would be the time because that is the time that we should act on it.

Hindi ngayon na pahabol habulan lang diyan [Not now, when there’s only a lot of chasing going on],” he said earlier.